Ode to Miami Cupcakes

Guava and Cream Cheese Cupcakes, aka Ode to Miami Cupcakes

Recipe, adapted from Hungry Sofia’s recipe for Estrellitas (thanks!)
makes about 18 cupcakes

Ingredients, for the Cupcake

2 cups cake flour
1 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 c unsweetened applesauce
1 cup + 4 T of sugar
4 large eggs
4 T skim milk
1 t vanilla extract

Ingredients, for the filling

14 oz guava paste
splash of rum
1T orange juice

Ingredients, for the frosting

16 oz cream cheese
1c confectioner’s sugar
2 t lemon juice (which I totally forgot to add, but probably would have been a good addition)

Method 

for the cupcakes,

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line muffin cups with liners.  Set aside.

2. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix.

3. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and applesauce on medium speed for one minute.

4. Gradually add the sugar and continue to beat on medium-high speed till light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

5. Add eggs one at a time and continue to beat about 1-2 more minutes.

6. Beat in milk and vanilla.  Batter may separate, but that’s ok.

7. On low speed, add flour in two batches and beat until just combined.

8. Divide batter into muffin cups and bake in middle of oven until a tester comes out clean, about 20 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool on a rack.

for the filling,

1. Combine all filling ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.  Fill a pastry bag with a small star tip, and pipe a small amount of filling into the center of each cupcake. It’s ok if some filling comes over the top. It will be covered by the frosting.

Note: To make the holes for the filling, I just poked a hole in the center with my finger. I suppose there could be a better method, but that seemed to work just fine.

for the frosting,

1. Beat the cream cheese until smooth.

2. Add the confectioner’s sugar and beat on low speed until incorporated.

3. Add the lemon juice and beat until smooth.

4. Spread on cupcakes or top using a pastry bag fitted with a star tip.

Note: Since this frosting is cream cheese dense, I didn’t swirl the frosting all the way around the cupcake. Instead, hold the pastry bag steady over the hole for the filling, and pipe it directly on top.

optional topping,

Cut up guava paste and garnish the cupcakes.

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